--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yes, I speak English 'cause I'm American." description: "\"Yes, I speak English 'cause I'm American.\" — Eric Nam" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/eric-nam-7940_american_yes-i-speak-english-cause-i-m-american-3_3218763.jpg" --- # Yes, I speak English 'cause I'm American. ![“Yes, I speak English 'cause I'm American.” quote by Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/eric-nam-7940_american_yes-i-speak-english-cause-i-m-american-3_3218763.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/eric-nam-7940_american_yes-i-speak-english-cause-i-m-american-3_3218763.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/eric-nam-7940_american_yes-i-speak-english-cause-i-m-american-3_3218763.jpg) > “Yes, I speak English 'cause I'm American.” [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker asserts that their language choice reflects national identity, implying cultural pride and belonging. **In simple terms:** Language shows national identity. Key Takeaway Recognize how language shapes identity. Themes identity language culture Mood proud reflective Type personal cultural When to use this quote - Travel - immigration - multicultural workplaces - language learning Key Concepts Nationalism Sociolinguistics Questions to Reflect On - How does language influence your sense of belonging? - Do you equate language with nationality? A Different Perspective Identity can be more complex than language alone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [English](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english/) ## Related quotes > [I have to ask myself, Am I content with calling myself a feminist? Yes, because I speak out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/i-have-to-ask-myself-am-i-content-with-calling-myself-a-feminist-yes/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [“Yes, I speak Dewey Decimal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-beasley/yes-i-speak-dewey-decimal/) Sandra Beasley > [“In a story on the U.S.-brokered security pact between the government of Sudan and southern rebel groups, the New York Times referred to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-marshall/in-a-story-on-the-u-s-brokered-security-pact-between-the-government/) Paul Marshall > [Why should you ask blood be spilled for a cause that is not in the interest of the American people?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-herger/why-should-you-ask-blood-be-spilled-for-a-cause-that-is-not-in-the/) Wally Herger > [I think our time should be spent on talking about those things that unite us as Americans and deliver for the American public. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hurd/i-think-our-time-should-be-spent-on-talking-about-those-things-that/) [Will Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hurd/) > [The first question is always, 'We loved him on 'Dancing with the Stars,' we loved him in the Olympics, but can he speak English?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/the-first-question-is-always-we-loved-him-on-dancing-with-the-stars/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [Yes, education is the catalyst that will hone and sharpen our talents, skills, and abilities and cause them to blossom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/yes-education-is-the-catalyst-that-will-hone-and-sharpen-our-talents/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) > [I first went to Barcelona in 1975 after university, and I stayed for three years. I learnt Catalan because that's what everyone speaks in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colm-toibin/i-first-went-to-barcelona-in-1975-after-university-and-i-stayed-for/) [Colm Toibin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colm-toibin/) > [Dejardins was so stunned, he momentarily forgot how to speak English. "Ce n'est pas possible. On ne pourrait pas-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/dejardins-was-so-stunned-he-momentarily-forgot-how-to-speak-english/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [My mother emigrated from Russia as a young child. She couldn't speak English and had no education. Her father died at age 32, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-feinstein/my-mother-emigrated-from-russia-as-a-young-child-she-couldn-t-speak/) [Dianne Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-feinstein/) > [At this point two elderly security guards in parkas, the guys who normally work the front desk at the plant, asked John to step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/at-this-point-two-elderly-security-guards-in-parkas-the-guys-who/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“The two-man crew of the patrol boat does not speak English. Rachel exploits this as best she can, while still dumping life jackets in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/the-two-man-crew-of-the-patrol-boat-does-not-speak-english-rachel/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [How will the Tower of Babel be undone? How will we understand each other in Heaven? Will we all speak English or Dutch or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/how-will-the-tower-of-babel-be-undone-how-will-we-understand-each/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“Have you got another puro?” he said. “You speak English? You understand me? Don’t worry about Spanish. English is the best. A very good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-daniels/have-you-got-another-puro-he-said-you-speak-english-you-understand-me/) J.D. Daniels > [Men must speak English who can write Sanskrit; they must speak a modern language who write, perchance, an ancient and universal one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-must-speak-english-who-can-write-sanskrit-they-must-speak-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More by Eric Nam > [I learned Spanish as my second language from middle school through high school. I grew up volunteering at homeless shelters and tutoring kids of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-learned-spanish-as-my-second-language-from-middle-school-through/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [On any collaboration, you want to respect your music and the other's music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/on-any-collaboration-you-want-to-respect-your-music-and-the-other-s/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [When you first make money, you're just excited that you have it and just buy things on a whim. You don't really think about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/when-you-first-make-money-you-re-just-excited-that-you-have-it-and/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I actually received a lot of messages from Central and South American artists who complimented my songs and showed interest in collaborating with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-actually-received-a-lot-of-messages-from-central-and-south-american/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I know people love Supreme. I never got on the wagon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-know-people-love-supreme-i-never-got-on-the-wagon/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [It's become hard for me to trust people and though I'm the type to go, 'everybody is born good,' you come to question that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/it-s-become-hard-for-me-to-trust-people-and-though-i-m-the-type-to-go/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I think K-pop bands rock, and their success raises my spirit to perform better on stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-think-k-pop-bands-rock-and-their-success-raises-my-spirit-to/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [It was a dream to be a singer/performer, but I never thought I had a chance or had a real shot; I never thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/it-was-a-dream-to-be-a-singer-performer-but-i-never-thought-i-had-a/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [It's easy to talk about how great love is or how you feel heartbroken after a breakup, but it's not as easy to talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/it-s-easy-to-talk-about-how-great-love-is-or-how-you-feel-heartbroken/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [Asian-Americans are fighting for space and fighting for visibility and for acceptance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/asian-americans-are-fighting-for-space-and-fighting-for-visibility/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I was part of the Atlanta Boy Choir probably like fourth and fifth grade. I personally didn't enjoy the type of music that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-was-part-of-the-atlanta-boy-choir-probably-like-fourth-and-fifth/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I've always been very passionate about trying to have Asian-Americans or Asian faces be more prominent in mainstream media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-ve-always-been-very-passionate-about-trying-to-have-asian-americans/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [Sunbae-hoobae seniority is a very tricky, weird kind of thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/sunbae-hoobae-seniority-is-a-very-tricky-weird-kind-of-thing/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [Typically in Korea when I perform I have a full band, a ten-piece band, and that's a completely different monster in itself to prepare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/typically-in-korea-when-i-perform-i-have-a-full-band-a-ten-piece-band/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I want to position myself as a great singer/songwriter in Korea, then jump off that into different markets. South-east Asia, China, Japan - I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-want-to-position-myself-as-a-great-singer-songwriter-in-korea-then/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) [Explore all 86 Eric Nam quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) Browse all 7,717 American quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Yes, I speak English 'cause I'm American.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric Nam" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/yes-i-speak-english-cause-i-m-american/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/yes-i-speak-english-cause-i-m-american/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/eric-nam-7940_american_yes-i-speak-english-cause-i-m-american-3_3218763.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/eric-nam-7940_american_yes-i-speak-english-cause-i-m-american-3_3218763.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/eric-nam-7940_american_yes-i-speak-english-cause-i-m-american-3_3218763.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Yes, I speak English 'cause I'm American.” — Eric Nam", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eric Nam", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Yes, I speak English 'cause I'm...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/yes-i-speak-english-cause-i-m-american/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/yes-i-speak-english-cause-i-m-american/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```